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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28121172">Sins of the Past</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cat2000/pseuds/Cat2000'>Cat2000</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Broken Spirits [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hospital, The Dead Lands (TV), The Locals (2003), Thunderheart (1992)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Multi, Spanking</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:00:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,080</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28121172</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cat2000/pseuds/Cat2000</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Disclaimer: I don’t own anything from the television series Kingdom Hospital and The Deadlands, or the movies Thunderheart and The Locals, and I’m not making any money from this fic</p><p>Summary: Next in the Broken Spirits series. Paul’s sleep is disturbed by memories of his past life with Martin</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dr. Hook/Anubis, Grant/Martin/Paul (The Locals), Walter Crow Horse/Ray Levoi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Broken Spirits [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2002315</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Warning(s): Spoilers for the above-mentioned fandoms; AU; spanking (one swat); references to violence</p><p>Pairings: Martin/Grant/Paul; Walter Crow Horse/Ray Levoi; Dorian Hook/Anubis</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The whole world was black and white.</p><p> </p><p>Paul looked around slowly, his eyes landing on the white arch and then at the gate that lay beyond it. The gate was closed. Sealed shut. Mist swirled all around him, making it nearly impossible to see more than a few feet in front of him.</p><p> </p><p>“Am I dead?” He flinched as his words echoed far too loudly in the deathly quiet that surrounded him.</p><p> </p><p>“Not yet.”</p><p> </p><p>The voice came from his right and Paul flinched, jerking backwards and then turning in the direction of the voice.</p><p> </p><p>A man was standing there. Like the world around them, he was only in black and white. While his face didn’t look all that old, his hair was very pale. He was thin, but still appeared to be well-muscled. And he was wrapped in a cloak.</p><p> </p><p>“Who are you?” Paul asked, before repeating what was, for him, the most important question. “Am I dead?” Strangely, that thought didn’t fill him with the same sense of dread it might have once. Perhaps because he’d already died once and learned that the only thing to fear was losing himself to the darkness.</p><p> </p><p>“My name is Ka.” The man stepped forward, closer to him. “I’m an ancestor to the body that previously housed your soul.”</p><p> </p><p>Paul stared at him and finally managed an ineloquent, “Huh?”</p><p> </p><p>“Take a look.” The man, Ka, stepped to one side. He gestured towards a body of water Paul hadn’t noticed before.</p><p> </p><p>Slowly, Paul stepped forward. Eyeing Ka warily, he knelt down on the bank and looked over the water’s edge.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t his own face looking back at him.</p><p> </p><p>The face that he saw belonged to a man of about his own age. But that was the only similarity. This man’s hair was long and dark, tangled and unbrushed. Perhaps even unwashed. He wore a pair of earrings and had on clothes that appeared to be made from animal skins.</p><p> </p><p>“Rangi.” Ka’s voice broke whatever spell had been cast and Paul looked up at the man, the <em>spirit</em>, he assumed, as he continued, “That was your name the first time you lived.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t understand.”</p><p> </p><p>Ka’s smile was almost kind. “You will.” He stepped forward and, with one swift movement, he pushed Paul into the water.</p><p> </p><p>###</p><p> </p><p>“Mehe…Mehe….”</p><p> </p><p>Paul’s whimpering voice caused Martin to surface from his sleep. Both of his younger lovers were pressed against him, a blond head and a dark one resting on a shoulder each. But Paul was writhing around, muttering the one word over and over, his hands clutching at Martin’s bare chest. “Mehe…Mehe….”</p><p> </p><p>“Paul. Wake up.” Martin threaded his fingers through the blond locks. “You’re dreaming.”</p><p> </p><p>The younger man reacted like an angry cat. He sprang from the bed, crouching and hissing before poking his tongue out. “<em>What did you do with Mehe</em>?”</p><p> </p><p>Grant sat up, his hair mussed and his eyes heavy-lidded from sleep. “Paul?” he muttered, smothering a yawn behind his hand. “What’s going on?”</p><p> </p><p>Martin sat up carefully, watching as Paul’s blond head darted between him and Grant. Keeping them both in his sights. His hand twitched to his waist and then he dropped it in confusion, glancing down as if startled by his own nakedness, before looking at Martin, locking eyes with him and hissing once more. “Where is she? <em>Where is Mehe</em>?”</p><p> </p><p>“Who’s Mehe?” Grant muttered.</p><p> </p><p>Martin held up a hand and crawled slowly towards the end of the bed, never taking his eyes off Paul even for a second. “Do you recognise me?” he asked.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Waka</em>.” Paul’s tongue poked out again and he abruptly lunged at Martin, bowling him over onto the bed and pinning him against the mattress, knee pressing against his chest and hand against his throat. “I don’t know what you’re scheming, or why you dared to return without her, but I would recognise you no matter what form you shapeshift into.”</p><p> </p><p>Reaching up, Martin grabbed Paul’s hips. “<em>Paul</em>.” His voice cut off in a choking gasp as his lover’s hand pushed harder against his throat, choking him.</p><p> </p><p>“Bring me back my sister, Waka.” Paul ground out the words in a low, savage tone.</p><p> </p><p>“Paul, what are you <em>doing</em>?”</p><p> </p><p>There was movement above him and Paul abruptly toppled to one side, allowing Martin to breathe again. He raised his head, in time to see Paul throw an uppercut to Grant’s jaw, making his head crack back. And then he followed it with a punch to Grant’s stomach and a kick to his groin, sending him toppling to the floor with a loud thump.</p><p> </p><p>When Paul would have gone down after Grant, Martin recovered his equilibrium and grabbed his younger lover around the waist. He pulled Paul back against his chest and delivered a firm smack to Paul’s backside.</p><p> </p><p>Paul threw an elbow back into Martin’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him, and then smacked his head back into Martin’s face, catching him in the eye.</p><p> </p><p>A gun shot sounded into the room.</p><p> </p><p>Martin looked up, towards Walter, who was standing in the doorway, gun aimed into the room, but with the barrel pointed towards the ceiling, as if he’d only fired a warning shot into the air.</p><p> </p><p>Paul let out a snarling growl that sounded more animal than human, then twisted free of Martin’s hold and charged towards Walter, hands raised and nails curled like claws.</p><p> </p><p>Ray moved swiftly to Walter’s side, both of them blocking the door.</p><p> </p><p>Rubbing at his sore throat, Martin clambered to his feet and stepped towards his younger lover, though he was careful not to touch, seeing the tense set to Paul’s body. “Paul. What’s happened?” He stepped round, placing himself in front of the blond, between Paul and Walter and Ray. “<em>Talk</em> to me,” he pleaded.</p><p> </p><p>Paul backed up, his eyes darting around like a cornered animal. Then, abruptly, he turned away and ran towards the window.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Paul</em>.” Martin darted after the blond, but his reflexes were too slow and his fingers only grazed Paul’s bare shoulder before his lover somersaulted out the window. By the time Martin got there and looked out, there was no sign of Paul on the ground below.</p><p> </p><p>Grant reached Martin’s side, staring out before jerking away and beginning to pull on his clothes. “He’s not going to get very far. He’ll be bleeding from the glass. No matter what kind of adrenaline rush or whatever he’s on, the cuts and that he’s naked are going to slow him down.” He paused and then looked at Martin, an uncertain note slipping into his voice as he asked, “Right?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not as simple as running on adrenaline or another hormone released by his body.” Anubis pushed his way into the room. He walked over to the broken window and glanced out, then turned to look at Martin, a grim look passing over his face. “I sensed something while we were all sleeping, but I can’t be sure what it was.”</p><p> </p><p>Martin quickly began pulling on his own clothes, not wanting to be the only one naked. He glanced out the window. “I need to get to him.”</p><p> </p><p>Grant ducked under Martin’s arm and looked into his eyes, saying with a worried tone, “He attacked you. Like he thought you were someone else. An enemy.”</p><p> </p><p>“An enemy?” Anubis’ eyes darted towards Grant and Martin. He took a step closer to them. “What exactly did he say?”</p><p> </p><p>“He kept asking where someone was. Mehe.” Martin frowned, looking down at Grant. “He called me something too.”</p><p> </p><p>Grant nodded. “Waka.”</p><p> </p><p>Anubis’ face turned even more pale than normal and he took a step back, swallowing visibly before asking, in a low voice, “Waka Nuku Rau?”</p><p> </p><p>Dorian slipped into the room behind Walter and Ray, who moved inside to give him room. He stepped over to Anubis and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, asking softly, “Are you all right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Who is Waka Nuku Rau?” Walter asked.</p><p> </p><p>“He lived back in ancient Maori times,” Anubis replied. “The poison that infected both this land and the reservation once spread across the whole land. It originated back then, when the world was broken and the dead were forced back into their decaying bodies.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is that where the spirit guardians came from?” Ray asked.</p><p> </p><p>“The barrier between the living and the dead was ripped open and it didn’t just affect the land of the tribes,” Anubis answered. “The dead took over the whole world. Those days were filled with darkness. The spirits were filled with anger and rage. And they were manipulated by the god of the dead, who wanted what the living had.”</p><p> </p><p>“But there’s nothing about that in our world’s history,” Grant whispered.</p><p> </p><p>“And you won’t find any mention of it in your history books,” Anubis answered. “Much like most of the myths and legends that have evolved and changed from the truth. You have the legends and stories of zombies in this world. The reality is different. Is far scarier.”</p><p> </p><p>“What does that have to do with Waka?” Ray asked. “The name scared you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Waka Nuku Rau was a man who lived at the time the world broke,” Anubis answered. “He was a great warrior. And a cruel, bloodthirsty man who drank the blood of his enemies.”</p><p> </p><p>“But that’s not Martin,” Grant protested. “He’s not like that.” He pressed closer against Martin’s side, almost clinging to him.</p><p> </p><p>“Is it possible he was reincarnated?” Ray asked. He shifted a bit nearer to Walter, resting his head on his partner’s shoulder and reaching out to grasp Walter’s hand.</p><p> </p><p>“It is,” Anubis agreed.</p><p> </p><p>“I’d say that maybe Paul was, too,” Martin said quietly. “Something made him remember?”</p><p> </p><p>“Something caused his past life to resurface and take over.” Anubis frowned. “Mehe. The name is familiar, but doesn’t strike the same chord as Waka’s did.”</p><p> </p><p>“If Paul called me Waka, then whoever he lived as before knew me as that name.” Martin frowned. “Can you help me remember?” he asked Anubis.</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t make you remember myself, but I can take you to the land of the dead, where there’s a chance you could gain the memories of your past life,” Anubis said. “But considering Waka’s bloodthirsty past, I’d be worried about his personality taking over yours.”</p><p> </p><p>Grant squeezed Martin’s hand and Martin looked down at his lover, squeezing his hand in return. He then looked at Anubis. “Can you help me? Help me control the memories and personality of my past life?”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe,” Anubis replied.</p><p> </p><p>“Is this place somewhere any of us can go to?” Ray asked.</p><p> </p><p>“I can take you all there,” Anubis replied. “But it’s a dangerous place and you’ll need to be mentally prepared.” He looked at each one of them in turn. “The decision is yours.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m going with you.” Grant’s voice broke the silence that had fallen after Anubis’ declaration.</p><p> </p><p>With a frown, Martin turned to his remaining lover. He took Grant’s hands in both of his; looked into the younger man’s eyes. “I can’t let you do that,” he said. “This is going to be dangerous. Paul’s already taken off to whoever knows where. I can’t risk losing you as well,” he whispered.</p><p> </p><p>“But you need me.” Grant’s voice was soft, yet insistent. “If you lose yourself, like Paul did, maybe I can bring you back.” He swallowed and his next words came out in a whisper. “Like when I got through to you before. Remember? When your need to protect me was stronger than the curse taking hold.” He clutched at Martin’s shirt. Looked into his eyes. “I can remind you that you’re still a good man.”</p><p> </p><p>Martin wanted to forbid him, to tell him <em>no</em>, but the words died in his throat. Grant was right. If he lost himself, if Waka was truly someone to be feared, then maybe his love for Grant would be enough to stay the monster.</p><p> </p><p>Still holding onto Grant, Martin looked at Walter. They hadn’t known each other for that long, but going through what they had together…it had bound them all. Bound them in ways that not many people could understand.</p><p> </p><p>Walter nodded before Martin said anything. “I’ll take care of him.” He didn’t say <em>in case the worse happens</em>, but they came through clearly in his tone.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you.” Martin held onto Grant, letting the feel and touch of the younger man calm him. But he couldn’t stop the lump of fear that had formed in his throat.</p><p> </p><p>Grant rested his head on Martin’s shoulder and clung on tightly. “I don’t want to lose you,” he muttered.</p><p> </p><p>Martin couldn’t make any promises. <em>Knew</em> he couldn’t tell Grant that he’d be fine; that he wouldn’t be lost to whatever darkness haunted his past life. But he wrapped his arms tighter around Grant and voiced the promise he <em>could</em> make. “Even if I’m temporarily lost, I will <em>never</em> stop loving you. And as long as it’s possible for me to do so, I’ll fight my way back to you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I just wish we could live in peace with each other.” Grant hugged him, tight and fierce, for another moment and then let go. He wiped at his eyes and took a step back.</p><p> </p><p>Martin breathed in deeply and turned to look at Anubis, unable to help but notice the way the guardian eyed him. There was a tense set to Anubis’ shoulders that hadn’t been there before. Trying to pretend that it didn’t hurt to see how wary Anubis now was around him, Martin asked, “How do we enter the land of the dead?”</p><p> </p><p>Anubis stepped forward, reluctance obvious in the way he dragged his feet. He paused next to the bed and nodded to the mattress. “Sit down. Otherwise you’ll fall onto the floor. Probably hit your head or something.”</p><p> </p><p>It went against everything Martin <em>wanted</em> to do to walk over and perch on the edge of the bed. He looked up as Anubis came forward to stand between his knees and then reached out to touch his forehead, tracing an intricate pattern over his skin.</p><p> </p><p>With each sweep of the guardian’s hand across his skin, Martin’s body grew heavier. He tried to focus on Anubis as the guardian moved, but his eyes began to droop. To close, despite his best efforts to keep them open.</p><p> </p><p>And then he blinked and the world lost all colour.</p><p> </p><p>“You took your time finding your way back here.”</p><p> </p><p>At the woman’s caustic voice, Martin twisted from where he now sat on hard, stony ground, looking up at a woman who sat on a fallen tree log behind him. Her hair was white and long and there was an intricate design tattooed on her chin.</p><p> </p><p>“Who are you?” Martin frowned.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t tell me you don’t recognise your own mother.” She struck his shoulder with the wooden stick she carried.</p><p> </p><p>It didn’t really hurt, but he still raised his hands to ward off any more blows. “You’re Waka’s mother?” He looked around, taking in his desolate surroundings.</p><p> </p><p>No one else was there. Only him and the woman.</p><p> </p><p>“Who are you looking for?” she demanded.</p><p> </p><p>He turned back to her and picked his next words carefully, unwilling to share too much of his personal life with her. “My companions.”</p><p> </p><p>“Companions? <em>Pah</em>,” she spat. “You never needed companions before. Don’t tell me this life has turned you soft.” She poked him hard in the shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>He moved backwards, out of her reach, and continued to look around. Had there been a problem? Maybe Anubis had decided not to bring them all here after all. Martin couldn’t exactly blame the guardian if he <em>had</em> chosen not to bring the others into a potentially dangerous situation. But then how would he do what he needed to without any kind of guidance? He finally stopped looking around, figuring that if Anubis and the others weren’t there now, they weren’t going to be there. “I don’t even recognise you,” he said to the woman.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m your mother.” She stepped right up to him, looking into his eyes. “Listen to your instincts. What do they tell you?”</p><p> </p><p>“That you’re dead and gone and shouldn’t be trusted.”</p><p> </p><p>Instead of getting offended, she laughed. “You can’t trust most of the dead,” she allowed. “But I have your best interests at heart. I want to help you.”</p><p> </p><p>How? He didn’t ask that question out loud. Instead, he questioned, “What do you want in return?”</p><p> </p><p>“Your father was the one who broke the world,” she replied. “But even though you killed him when you wore your first body, he’s not here in the land of the dead. Like you, he was returned to life.” She stepped closer to him, grinning up at him with a wild look in her eyes. “Send him here, to the land of the dead. Send him to <em>me</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>“You want me to take someone’s life?”</p><p> </p><p>Stepping back from him, she rolled her eyes. “Don’t act like you’re so offended. You’ve killed before. Don’t try to convince me you’re so innocent here in <em>this</em> life.” She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a light shove. “You’ve killed people in the guise you’re in now. Good people. <em>Innocent</em> people.” She smiled. “Do these ‘companions’ you’re looking for know that about you? How many people you’ve killed? That you <em>enjoyed</em> it?” She walked round him slowly, pausing at his back and whispering in his ear. “You can tell yourself that the curse twisted and shaped you into something you’re not, but we both know better. Don’t we?”</p><p> </p><p>He stepped forward, twisting round so that he could keep watching her. “You don’t know anything about me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know you better than you know yourself.” Her grin grew wider and more manic. “But if you don’t believe me, why don’t you take a step back into your past? See yourself for who you <em>really</em> are?” She took a step to one side, revealing an archway.</p><p> </p><p>He paused, glancing at the greyed-out arch, then looked towards the woman who claimed she’d given birth to him in a previous life. “What will happen to me?”</p><p> </p><p>“You want to learn the truth, don’t you?” She pointed to the arch. “Don’t you want to know why he ran from you and how to get him back?”</p><p> </p><p>She was manipulating him, but what choice did he have? Anubis wasn’t there to advise him. Grant wasn’t there to pull him back. He had no other choice….</p><p> </p><p>But to step through.</p>
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